1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to a manual support apparatus and, more particularly, to a manual support apparatus attachable to hospital bedframes to assist user's in transferring into and out of bed, as well as with in-bed mobility.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Transferring into and out of bed as well as maneuvering in bed, particularly a hospital bed, may be a difficult process for some elderly or disabled persons.
Typical hospital beds provide little or no additional manual support to assist people to gain their balance while transferring into or out of the bed, or help them to adjust their in-bed posture. Particularly at risk of falling, are acute or chronic term patients, in the home or hospital environment, which require assistance maneuvering into and about a bed. A wheelchair user, for example, may find it difficult to transfer into and out of bed without assistance. These patients require a secure and stable method to transfer into and out of bed independently. It would be useful, therefore, to provide an apparatus for manual support.
While various home care and hospital beds have been available in the prior art, these beds are generally expensive. In addition, these beds generally provide only full side rails which can be raised to prevent patients from falling out of bed. These side rails do not assist the user in transferring into or out of bed, or with in-bed mobility, as they are lowered prior to transfers. Furthermore, a patient may require additional support for only a temporary period and, therefore, would not require assistance from health aides, family or hospital staff if an existing bed can be modified.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a manual support apparatus, which is attachable to a bedframe, particularly a hospital bedframe, for providing a secure and stable method to transfer into and out of bed independently, and improve in-bed mobility.
A further object of the invention is to provide a manual support apparatus, which is attachable to a bedframe, which can be easily assembled and disassembled, as well as quickly installed on any side/corner of a bed.